News & recognition

A personal tribute reflecting on the mentorship, integrity, and purpose of Howard Shaffer — leading with humility, listening with compassion, and acting with conviction.

Members of the MISSION Behavioral Health Lab team gathered at the overdose awareness vigil held August 31, 2023 at Worcester City Hall — remembrances and a call to action.

On April 13, 2023, MISSION Recovery Support Specialist Willie Clark received the award from All-Inclusive Support Services (AISS) and the Hampden County Sheriff's Office — recognizing someone who makes a pathway for others. Congratulations Willie!

The Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association has teamed up with MISSION to offer new Psychiatric Rehabilitation courses online.

Engagement in treatment — and in medication for opioid use disorder, the gold standard of care — remains low among people with co-occurring disorders. Integrated, multi-component behavioral interventions are optimal for addressing their diverse needs.

CDC funding for “Supporting Treatment Access and Recovery through Linkage and Support” (R01CE003514), with partners from UMass Lowell and UMass Amherst and community collaborations across Worcester.

Seeking sustainable models of integrated care: scientists funded by the NIH HEAL Initiative are breaking MISSION treatment into parts and testing combinations that may be effective, accessible, and covered by insurance.

A team led by David Smelson, Psy.D., professor of psychiatry and director of the Center of Excellence in Addiction, was awarded a four-year NIH grant to study components of a multidisciplinary, team-based, wrap-around treatment program.

A UMass Chan research team was awarded a four-year, $12.3-million NIH grant to study and develop a treatment program for adults with opioid-use disorders and mental illness.

Co-occurring health disorders appear to contribute to increased risk, an NIH study suggests.

A pilot study of MISSION-CJ in two Massachusetts drug treatment courts found significant reductions in nights in jail, opioid use, and mental health symptoms, with larger gains among highly engaged clients.

An evidence-based wraparound service model that reduces barriers to care was shown to enhance drug treatment courts' effectiveness in improving criminal justice and behavioral health outcomes, according to a pilot study led by UMass researchers.

Massachusetts was among the states with the highest declines in recidivism under the Second Chance Act — investing in evidence-based practices such as MISSION to support people with co-occurring disorders re-entering the community.

MISSION-Vet is an evidence-based intervention developed within the VA, partially funded by HSR&D, and included in SAMHSA's National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices to address co-occurring disorders among homeless Veterans.

A kickoff meeting for the newly awarded MISSION-Hope grant took place at the Franklin County Justice Center, with the UMass Addictions Team, Franklin Family Drug Court staff, Congressmen Jim McGovern and Richard Neal, and DA David E. Sullivan in attendance.

For the first time, the MISSION model will be embedded into a family drug court as part of the newly awarded MISSION-Hope project. The Greenfield Recorder spoke with Dr. David Smelson about the excitement and expectations.

The MISSION-Hope grant will serve 175 parents, 240 children, and 180 caregivers over five years, employing case managers, recovery coaches, a social worker, and a part-time nurse to deliver MISSION-Criminal Justice services.

The Massachusetts Trial Court was awarded a five-year, $2.1 million grant to address the effects of the opioid crisis on families in Western Massachusetts, embedding the MISSION-Criminal Justice model into the Franklin County Family Drug Court.

The Barnstable, MA Drug Court launched the MISSION-Cape project with a three-year, $975,000 federal grant providing wraparound recovery support services to individuals enrolled in the drug court.